Golf League TGL is Ready to Play

Former Golf Channel executive Mike McCarley and golf titans Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, in partnership with the PGA, have launched the TMRW Golf League (TGL) — a hybrid digital-physical version of the game that hopes to amp up the entertainment value and appeal to a new generation of players.

The Big Swing: McCarley, Woods, McIlroy, and the PGA have seen TGL as a response to the threat of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league, which has been spending big money to attract players from all over the world… even though LIV still hasn’t scored the viewership expected. 

Between the Puts: TGL is a mix between a driving-range simulator and a short-swing game.

• Six teams of four players compete across 15 holes inside a space roughly the size of a football field — the first nine holes are played as triples, while the following six are played as singles (it’s a bit complicated, tbh).
• Players tee off at a massive simulator screen measuring 64-feet tall and 53-feet wide (roughly 24 times the size of a normal simulator).
• Once they get within 50 yards of the hole, the digital game becomes a physical one, as the players then need to compete on a shapeshifting (thanks to motors and turntables) short-game green where players actually chip and put the ball.
• Oh, and each swing is on a 40-second shot clock, so the whole game can be played in under two hours.

Final Hole: TGL teed off Tuesday night at the SoFi Center at Florida’s Palm Beach State College — reactions have been positive so far. That’s great news for the TGL backers, who sense a major vibe shift in how golf is played. An estimated 32.9 million people play at places like Topgolf, compared to the 26.9 million that play on a green. Why? It’s all about convenience, access, and entertainment. Pro golf will always be around, but if TGL can become popular as well, it could be another major revenue source for the PGA… ensuring it beats LIV.